Hydraulic type junk basket for wells



June 16, 1959 w. H. MIDDLETON HYDRAULIC TYPE JUNK BASKET FOR WELLS Filed July 29, 1955 B gw I. lll il.

INVENTOR WILLIAM H. MIDDLETON ATTORNEY HYDRAULIC TYPE JUNK BASKET FOR WELLS William H. Middleton, Hobbs, N. Mex., assignor of onehalf to Edgar T. Murray, Huntsville, Ala.

Application July 29, 1955, Serial No. 525,235

3 Claims. (Cl. 166-99) This invention relates to well tools and is particularly concerned with collection and removal of large and heavy pieces of material from the bottom of the 'well bore, such as broken drill parts, packer pieces, large formation fragments, and the like, known as junk as well as for the retrieving of drilling fish.

Junk baskets and junk catches have long been commonly used in oil well drilling practices for the removal of oil tool and drill string fragments and large formation pieces which, because of size or weight, may not be readily and freely floated upwardly through the annulus between drill string and well bore by the upward flow of drilling mud or like fluid forced downwardly through the drill string. For the most part, such junk retrievers were dependent upon mechanical or magnetic means or normal formation fluid pressure for inducing entry of the junk Within the chamber provided therefor in the tool. Magnetic means are, of course, costly and limited in use to the retrieving of magnetically responsive pieces. Mechanical engaging or grappling means are inclined to be complicated in both construction and operation and frequently successful in operation, only after prolonged manipulations of the drill string and/or control means extending downwardly therethrough. Dependence upon formation fluid pressure for flowing the junk into the retrieving tools is obviously unsatisfactory, since such pressures vary under different conditions and cannot be relied upon.

It is therefore among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel, simple and improved tool of the character defined including means for inducing the entrance of junk into the junk receiving cavity thereof.

Another generic object of the invention is to provide power means operable by drill string pressure fluid to provide for the movement of tool fragments, formation pieces and the like through and inwardly beyond the retaining member of a junk catcher compartment.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a junk catcher with means for inducing a flow of formation and/ or drilling fluid therethrough whereby junk may be entrained by such fluid and delivered to the junk chamber of the catcher.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the incorporation of a fluid impeller means in a junk catcher to be driven by drill string fluid and to induce a fluid circulation causing entry of junk to the catcher.

With these and numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention in mind, reference may be had to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of one preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In general terms that form of the invention herein presented by way of example may be characterized as tates Patent Patented June 16, 1959 including a chambered body adapted to be detachably secured to the lower end of a drill string to receive therethrough a flow of drill string fluid. Motor means are mounted within the body to be driven by such flow of drill string fluid and a pump is operable by the motor means for inducing a flow of formation and/ or drilling fluid through said body. Within the path of fluid flow, a junk chamber is disposed, preferably provided with a one-way closure permitting entry to the chamber of parts, fragments and pieces of tools, or formations constituting the junk, the closure being operable to retain such junk within the chamber as the tool is retracted.

Referring now to the drawings depicting a specific structural presentation of the inventive concept the drill string to which the present tool is to be removably secured for the junk retrieving operation is indicated by the numeral 10. The threads 11 of the lowermost drill stem-pin 12 are engaged by the internal threads of a tool box portion 13 to provide for the normal threaded coupling and uncoupling of the tool and drill stem. The tool of the present invention is here shown as including an upper section 14 including the internally threaded box 13, an intermediate motor-pump section 15 and a lower junk chamber section 16. The upper section 14 expands outwardly from its box portion 13 in hell like fashion to provide a chamber 17 the walls of which are of equal external diameter with the cylindrical intermediate and lower sections. Threaded connections 18 and 19 unite the upper and intermediate sections and the intermediate and lower sections respectively.

The intermediate motor-pump section 15 is relatively solid compared to the chamber forming upper and lower sections 14 and 16. Adjacent its upper threaded connection 18, an annular wall 20 is provided defining a rotor area 21 in which is mounted a rotor 22 adapted to be driven by the downward passage thereover of drill string fluid. The rotor 22 is mounted on and for rotation with a hollow rotor-impeller shaft 23 journaled at each end in shaft bearings 24 adjacent fluid packing seals 25. Shaft 23 extends axially through a central axial bore 26 of the intermediate motor-pump section 15 while on opposite sides thereof, drill string fluid passages 27 extend downward from the rotor area 21 emerging fromthe sides of the section 15, as indicated at 28.

In similar manner, the lower end of the intermediate section 15 is provided with a wall 30 defining an impeller area 31 within which is mounted an impeller 32 secured to the lower protruding end of the rotor-impeller shaft 23. Formation and/ or drilling fluid drawn upwardly by rotation of the impeller 32 with rotation of the rotor 22 passes through fluid passages 34 interposed between drill string fluid passages 27 to emerge from the sides of the section 15 as indicated at 35. In order to continuously space the walls of the tool from the sides of the well bore or casing to insure freedom of fluid passage through the passages 27 and 34 and from their outlets 2S and 35, a hard rubber ring 36 is seated within a groove 37 centrally of the intermediate section 15. The ring 36 does not form a fluid tight seal between the tool and the casing but merely acts as a spacer. Consequently fluid may flow between the tool and the casing.

In the preferred construction here presented the shaft 23 is preferably hollow to provide a passage 23 communicating with central apertures 22 and 32 extending through the rotor 22 and impeller 32 respectively to permit free flow of drill string fluid therethrough as such fluid is forced down the drill string. However, when the device is in its desired location, such flow through the tube is undesirable as precluding proper flow of power fluid to the vanes of the rotor. Thus the center of the upper face of the rotor is formed with a concave depression to 3 receive a sealing ball 50 which may be dropped down the drill string to seal the shaft against further downward flow therethrough, of the drill string fluid.

The lower section 16 is of generally cylindrical formation, its lower open end 40 being provided with teeth 41 to provide for a circular cutting action as the drill string is rotated, thus permitting the tool to progress downwardly about any junk or fish stem which is to be retrieved. Inwardly spaced from the open end 40 there is mounted a conventional junk trap 42 formed of inwardly directed spring fingers which may flex outwardly towards the section wall to admit junk, but which will return to inter-engaged relation under spring tension to thus constitute a one-way closure for the junk receiving chamber 43 formed thereabout. The upper limits of the chamber are defined by a transversely mounted foraminous screen 44 by which junk is precluded from passage upwardly from the chamber 43 to block or injure the impeller 32.

In operation, the tool of this invention having been aflixed to the drill string 10, it is lowered to the position at the bottom of the well bore where junk is to be picked up or a fish is to be retrieved. At such location, rotation of the tool with the drill string will cause the teeth 41 to cut into formation and/ or accumulated debris to insure ease of inclosure by the lower section 16 of the material to be received thereby. While the tool is stationary or during its rotation and downward drilling motion, drill string fluid is admitted from the string through chamber 17 to the rotor area thus passing over rotor 22 and outwardly through passages 27 to the annulus between tool and well bore or casing. Such passage of drill string fluid provides a firm rotation of the rotor 22 and the shaft 23 aflixed thereto. The impeller 32 also aflixed to the shaft 23 will thus be rotated with the rotor and shaft and its rotation will induce flow of formation and/ or drilling fluid upward through the open end of section 16 and thus through closure 42, screen 4-4 and outward through passages 34. Operation of the rotor 22 and the pump impeller 32 is necessary to induce flow of fluid upwardly into the chamber 43. This is by reason of the fact that there is a relatively free passage for the flow of fluid between the tool and the casing and consequently in the absence of operation of the pump impeller 32, there would be little or no fluid flow into the chamber 43.

It will, of course, be understood that such induced fluid flow will entrain and float with it junk to be entrapped within the chamber between closure and screen. Obviously, the tool is effective for the retrieving of junk forced into the chamber by encompassment as the tool moves downwardly thereover, regardless of induced fluid flow. The tool is also effective to entrap junk caused to flow thereinto by formation pressure irrespective of induced flow by the impeller. It is to be further understood, that while the term junk is used to define the usual material entrapped and taken from the well bore, such term is broadly used to include the engagement of fish as Well as bits and fragments of tools, drill rods, casing or formation.

Having thus set forth one practical and economic structural embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited or restricted to the structural embodiment here presented and that numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to in the practice of the invention without departure from the spirit or scope thereof as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A junk catcher comprising an upper section, means on said upper section for threadedly engaging the lower end of a drill string section to support said junk catcher in a well, a fluid chamber in said upper section for receiving drilling fluid from said drill string, a central section secured to the lower end of said upper section, a rotor chamber in the upper end of said central section communicating with said fluid chamber, a rotor disposed in said rotor chamber, an impeller chamber in the lower end of said central section, an impeller disposed in said impeller chamber, a longitudinally extending hollow shaft rotatably mounted in said central section and fixed to said rotor and said impeller, central apertures extending through said rotor and impeller and communicating with said hollow shaft, removable means for closing the upper end of the aperture in said rotor, fluid passages in said central section extending from said rotor chamber to the exterior of said central section for conducting fluid passing through said rotor from said rotor chamber into said well, other fluid passages in said central section extending from said impeller chamber to the exterior of said central section for conducting fluid passing through said impeller from said impeller chamber into said well, a lower section secured to the lower end of said central section, said lower section being open at the lower end, a junk chamber in said lower section communicating with said impeller chamber, means in said lower section for permitting entry of junk into said junk chamber and for preventing inadvertent removal of junk therefrom and means in said junk chamber for preventing movement of junk into engagement with said impeller whereby upon a downward flow of fluid through said drill string and rotor said impeller Will be driven to induce a flow of fluid from said well upwardly into said junk chamber to facilitate movement of junk into said junk chamber.

2. A junk catcher comprising an upper section, means on said upper section for threadedly engaging the lower end of a drill string section to support said junk catcher in a well, a fluid chamber in said upper section for receiving drilling fluid from said drill string, a central section secured to the lower end of said upper section, a rotor chamber in the upper end of said central section communicating with said fluid chamber, a rotor disposed in said rotor chamber, an impeller chamber in the lower end of said central section, an impeller disposed in said impeller chamber, a longitudinally extending hollow shaft rotatably mounted in said central section and fixed to said rotor and said impeller, central apertures extending through said rotor and impeller and communicating with said hollow shaft, removable means for closing the upper end of the aperture in said rotor, fluid passages in said central section extending from said rotor chamber to the exterior of said central section for conducting fluid passing through said rotor from said rotor chamber into said well, other fluid passages in said central section extending from said impeller chamber to the exterior of said central section for conducting fluid passing through said impeller from said impeller chamber into said well, a lower section secured to the lower end of said central section, said lower section being open at the lower end, a junk chamber in said lower section communicating with said impeller chamber and means. in said lower section for permitting entry of junk into said junk chamber and for preventing inadvertent removal of junk therefrom whereby upon a downward flow of fluid through said drill string and rotor said impeller will be driven to induce a flow of fluid from said well upwardly into said junk chamber to facilitate movement of junk into said junk chamber.

3. A junk catcher comprising an upper section, means on said upper section for threadedly engaging the lower end of a drill string section to support said junk catcher in a well, a fluid chamber in said upper section for receiving drilling fluid from said drill string, a central section secured to the lower end of said upper section, a rotor chamber in the upper end of said central section communicating with said fluid chamber, a rotor disposed in saidrotor chamber, an impeller chamber in the lower end of said central section, an impeller disposed in said impeller chamber, a longitudinally extending shaft rotatably mounted in said central section and fixed to said rotor and said impeller, fluid passages in said central section extending from said rotor chamber to the exterior of said central section for conducting fluid passing through said rotor from said rotor chamber into said well, other fluid passages in said central section extending from said impeller chamber to the exterior of said central section for conducting fluid passing through said impeller from said impeller chamber into said Well, a lower section secured to the lower end of said central section, said lower section being open at the lower end, a junk chamber in said lower section communicating with said impeller chamber and means in said lower section for permitting entry of junk into said junk chamber and for preventing inadvertent removal of junk therefrom whereby upon a downward flow of fluid through said drill string and rotor said impeller will be driven to induce a flow of fluid through said well upwardly into said junk chamber to facilitate movement of junk into said junk chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Oxley Mar. 8, 1892 Ivens Sept. 17, 1901 Dickinson Mar. 9, 1920 White Apr. 30, 1940 Brauer Nov. 12, 1940 Bryant Mar. 4, 1941 Yost Apr. 1, 1952 Hillger Dec. 15, 1953 Gibbs May 24, 1955 Trahan June 19, 1956 

